1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to a cover plate for electrical outlets, and more particularly to a universal cover plate that can be converted into a desired specific cover plate by detaching removable tabs.
2. Background Art
Cover plates enclose outlets behind a wall, thereby preventing inadvertent access to the electrically conductive elements of the outlets and hiding the unattractive wiring. The electrical devices attached at the outlet vary, and consequently cover plates of many varieties are known. For example, electric sockets, both standard and ground fault current interrupts; light switches, both toggle and rocker plates; and cable television or telephone ports may be wired at a given outlet. The outlets may be used for indoor or outdoor weatherproof wiring, or may require a locked cover.
Each type of outlet has a different type of cover plate configured for it. To install or service the outlets, an electrician must carry several types of cover plates to each site, necessitating the ordering and inventorying of many types of cover plates. This is time-consuming, expensive and inefficient. It is desirable, therefore, to have a universal cover plate to accommodate most commonly-encountered outlets.
To this end, a partial solution to the problem is known in the art including a three-piece cover plate with interchangeable parts. The base of this device has two pieces, a frame having a rectangular aperture and an insert that fills the aperture. Several versions of inserts are available, depending on the type of device to be wired. For example, one insert accommodates a duplex electrical socket and a separate insert accommodates a ground-fault circuit interrupt. The base is hinged at one end to receive a mated lid, thereby creating a hinged enclosure. The desired insert is chosen, inserted into the aperture of the frame, the lid attached, and the cover plate attached to the wall. To use this device for various types of outlets multiple parts must be carried by the electrician, including multiple inserts, bases, and lids. The prior art therefore does not solve the problem of having to order, stock and carry many different parts. Furthermore, the variety of cover plates is limited to the number of inserts, and only a single-axis hinged lid is known, and the base-lid pair does not allow for a base without a lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,831 to Shotey, which issued on Jun. 9, 1998, (the ""831 patent) is incorporated herein by reference for its supportive teachings. The ""831 patent is a significant advancement toward a practical cover plate that is convertible between different specific cover plate configurations. Shotey discloses a cover plate having tabs that can be removed to convert the cover plate to different specific cover plate configurations. However, the embodiments disclosed in the ""831 patent are each able to be converted to only a limited number of specific cover plate configurations.
Therefore, there existed a need to provide a practical cover plate that is convertible between several different specific configurations. The present invention provides such a cover plate that is convertible between several different configurations without the need for an excessive number of parts.
According to the present invention, an electrical cover plate includes a base having a planar member. A first set of removable tabs is connected to the base so that removal of the first set of removable tabs forms a first set aperture, and a second set of removable tabs is connected to the base so that removal of the second set of removable tabs forms a second set aperture. The first set aperture and the second set aperture may each be bounded by an aperture periphery line so that the aperture periphery lines intersect. Also, the first tab set and the second tab set may have at least one tab in common, and each tab set may be bounded by a tab set periphery line so that the tab set periphery lines intersect. The tabs may be connected to the base by grooved connectors, connecting tabs, or other connections that removably connect the tabs to the base. The intersecting aperture periphery lines and tab set periphery lines and the corresponding overlapping areas of adjacent potential apertures allows the base to be converted to a much larger variety of configurations without requiring additional parts.
The base plate can include more than two tab sets that can be removed to form even more varieties of apertures. The apertures may be shaped and positioned to receive a variety of specified electrical devices, such as round electrical sockets, duplex outlet sockets, ground-fault circuit interrupt sockets, or light switches. The base may include removable hinge members on multiple substantially non-parallel sides that are adapted to mate with removable hinge members of a cover. Also, the base may define a head aperture that is shaped and positioned to receive the head of a fastener and a shank aperture that is shaped and positioned to receive the shank of the fastener, but not the head of the fastener.